Your Guide to Choosing a Room Air Purifier

By G Clark

Choosing the right air purifier for your house can seem like a daunting task if you do not know where to start. People, now more than ever, are turning to natural solutions for resolving everyday health issues such as allergies and asthma. The easiest way we can remove these pollutants from the air is through the use of a room air purifier. The HEPA air purifier is by far the most efficient air filtration system, but you should make sure your chosen air purifier meets these five criteria:

Contains a medical grade HEPA filter. Some room air purifiers contain HEPA-like filters, instead of medical grade HEPA filters, and should be avoided. Medical grade HEPA filters eliminate 99.97% of air pollutants up to 0.3 microns in size. Hospitals utilize medical grade HEPA filters and everyone should follow suit as it is the only way to guarantee the purest air available. If a filter is not a medical grade HEPA, it will not provide the same quality.

High capacity pre-filter. A pre-filter is imperative to increase the life of your HEPA air purifier. It catches the larger pollutants that can potentially clog the HEPA filter and cause it to operate less efficiently. The HEPA filter is designed to remove the smallest particles from the air and needs the help of a pre-filter to catch pollutants that are usually visible to the naked eye such as dust. By collecting the bigger particles, it extends the life of the HEPA filter, passing the savings onto you.

Contains activated carbon. Room air purifiers with activated carbon are in a class of their own. Activated carbon is carbon that is treated with oxygen, making it more permeable. Any chemicals or pollutants that pass through the activated carbon become attached to a pore of the carbon and are removed from the air. It is invaluable in its function to help the room air purifier remove that much more impurities from the air.

Does not promote the off-gassing of chemicals. Some brands of air purifiers are made with poor quality plastic that can off-gas Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) which pollute your home. This is entirely counterproductive and can be avoided with an air purifier that does not promote VOCs.

Does not produce ozone. Another counter productive trait of some room air purifiers is its ozone producing ability. Ozone is a charged oxygen molecule and harmful in large doses. The most common type of purifiers that create ozone are ionizers. They use an electro-static process to purify the air which emits a clean and crisp smell. You would think this was the smell of pure air, but it is not and should be avoided at all costs.

The most effective room air purifiers include IQAir, Amaircare and Austin Air. Their products meet the stringent guidelines that guarantee the purest air. Don’t waste another second breathing imperfect air. Invest in a top quality HEPA air purifier that will help your overall well-being and fits the criteria outlined above.

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